Golf club



M. B. REACH Feb.. l0, 1931.

GOLF CLUB Filed oct. 28. 1929 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILTON B. REACH, F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 A. G. SPALDING BROS., OF NEW YORK, 1\T.\ Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY GOLF CLUB Application led October 28, l1929. Serial No. 403,039.

My said invention relates to improvements in golf clubs of the type provided with tubular steel shafts and aims to provide improved means for reinforcing the shaft at apdesired point or points.

In the use of clubs lprovided with such shafts it has been' found that the portion o-f the shaft adjacent the top end of the hosel receives the first andhardest shock of the blow to this type of club.

and that the steel shaft not infrequently breaks at this point.

It has been further noted that the preferences of golfers vary with respect to the location of suppleness or flexibility in a shaft, as some like points of feel under or adjacent the grip, while others like the shaft fairly stiff under the grip end with the feel or suppleness lower down, between the lower end of the grip and the top of the hosel.

The present invention aims to provide a reinforcement for the shaft of standard make comprising a tubular member which is tapered uniformly from the grip end to the club head end, and which reinforcement will be economical of manufacture and application and capable of being easily applied to the shaft to reinforce it at the desired point, and the invention includes the novel construction hereinafter described and defined by the appended claims'. t

In the accompanying drawing I have shown the invention lembodied in a club ofthe iron type embodying a stel head and tubular steel shaft whichnow customarily employ a rubber sleeve interposed between the shaft and hosel to secure v'torsional resilience as is well understood by those skilledin the wart. but this is shown by way of example only and my invention is not to be regarded as limited In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view partly'in section and partly broken away showing acl'ub head and a sufficient portion of the shaft to illustrate the invention; i

Figure 2 is a detail view of the reinforcing sleeve;l V Figure 3 is a View of a shaft with the reinforcement applied to a different portion thereof; and

Figure 4 is a detail view` of ferrule modified for this use.

end uniformly towards or to the hosel enga-ging end.

In order to avoid the breakage of the shaft at oradjacent the top end of the hosel, I provide a reinforcing sleeve 4 within the hollow lower end of the shaft which is made of (preferably) steel tubing of a taper correspon ding to the taper of the shaft so that it may be driven into the `same to secure a tight fit. While the frictional engagement due to the drive insert in most cases will efectually netain the sleeve-in proper position, as there is considerable vibration set up under the blow, I prefer to provide mechanical anchoring means for preventing any possible displacement',` and the preferred manner of doingthis is to effect a spot weld connection between the sleeve and shaft. One such spot weld has been found amply sufficient.

The sleeve' is made ofsuch length that it (preferably), extends aboutl an inch above and below the top end of the hosel, the area of the club for about an inch being that which it is desired to strengthen.

,Tof avoid any. weakening.' effect on the shaft or tendency'to 'breakage at the top end of the sleeve which might result if the upper end of the sleeve extendedl straight across perpendicular to its axis, I provide it with an irregular upper edge, preferably by providing such edge with a plurality of substantially V-shaped notches 4a forming intervening etV In tapered metal tubing such as used for I the above purposes, there lare liable,. to be irregularities in the taper and to cmp'en- 4 may be provided, before insertion, with a thin outer coating of soft metal or rubber which will accommodate Aitself to any irregularities in the interior surface of the shaft.

6 For the purpose of reinforcing the shaft at some other point as indicated 1n Figure 3, I provide the ferrule 5 which would have an external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the portion of the shaft Yl to be reinforced, and when such reinforcement was between the gri and hosel, the ferrule would have both en s rovided with recesses and tongues as indlcated at X Figure 4.

.15 Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A golf club having a tubular metal shaft, and a metallic reinforcingI sleeve o f less length than the shaft snugly fitting` therein; Said sleeve having an irregular end edge.

2. A golf club havin a'tubular metal shaft, and a metallic rein orcing sleeve of less len h than the shaft snugly fitting therein; an provided with substantially V,shaped recesses forming intervening tongues.

3. The combination with a golf club having a tubular metal shaft engaging the bore of the head thereof, of a metallic reinforcing sleeve within said shaft and extending above and below the top end of the hosel, said sleeve l having an irre ar upper edge.

4. The combination with a olf club havin a tubular metal shaft engaging the bore o the head thereof, of a metallic reinforcing sleeve within said shaft and extending above and below the to end of the hosel, said sleeve having substantlally V-shaped recesses in its upper' end providing intervenin ton es.

5. The combination with a gol iron avin g 40 a tapered-tubular metal shaft engaging the bore of the hosel of the head, of a metal sleeve of corresponding tubular forminserted in the shaft with a drive lit and positioned to extend above and below the top end of the hosel,

said sleeve having an exterior coating` of softer material adapted to compensate for any irregularites in the tubing.

- 6. The combination with a golf club havingV a tubular metallic shaft of uniform tape of a tapered ferrule of less length than the shaft having an exterior coating of softer material and inserted in the shaft with a drive fit.

In testimony whereof, I alixmsi ature.

' AMILTON B. CH. 

